Whales on Stilts! by M.T. Anderson Page A

service.”
    Larry’s head drooped. He said sadly, “The one on Ethan Boulevard?”
    â€œNo,” said Jasper, “a little farther south, on the corner of Twelfth and Harrison. You’ll be writing your memoirs at night.”
    Larry nodded. “They’ll be too long and boring for publication, won’t they?”
    Jasper felt he shouldn’t answer this. He put his hand, still webbed with bubble, on Larry’s shoulder. “You gave it your best go, sir. That’s all any of us can do.”
    â€œThank you,” said Larry. “I’ll see you some other time.”
    â€œRemember, evil never pays.”
    â€œOkay,” said Larry. “Thanks for... you know, the tip and all.” He shuffled off to an unforgiving future.
    Meanwhile, Jasper Dash gasped for breath, trying to find the way out of his Marvelous Non-Osmotic Hypo-Allergenic Oxysphere.

A week later a very triumphant little party was gathered in the Aero-Bistro, floating over the sea. Of course, Lily, Jasper, and Katie were there. They were joined by their parents and the governor of the state, who was congratulating Lily on her brilliant scheme to foil Larry’s invasion.
    â€œLily, it’s quite a feat. You really have shown the people of this state what one girl can do,” the governor said. “Just one girl, some androids, a flying restaurant, twenty vintage Victrola phonograph players, a small submarine, and a boy in a plastic bubble.”
    Katie said, “She’s the one who first noticed that there was something fishy about the Abandoned Warehouse.”
    Jasper said, “And she’s the one who figured out what Larry’s plan was.”
    Katie said, “And she’s the one who figured out how we could remind the whales of what they were missing underwater. She figured it out by listening to her grandmother.”
    The governor nodded. “I hate to think what would have happened if you hadn’t stepped in, Lily. If those whales had made it to the state capital ... I see an awful picture in my head: whales in the state legislature, wearing white wigs ... making lots of laws .. . where schoolkids had to eat plankton ... It makes me proud to be a non-whale elected official of this great state.” He smiled for the cameras.
    Several of Katie’s writers from Simon & Schuster were at the next table. “Lily,” said one, “when you first saw Barry the fish-man, did your eyes ‘stick out’ in horror?”
    The second writer lit a cigarette. “When you thought of your plan, I assume you said, ‘It’s socrazy... it
just might work.’
I’m writing that down:...
so crazy ...it.. .just... might...
”
    â€œLily, do you have any superpowers you haven’t told us about?”
    â€œHere. Bend my keys with your mind.”
    Lily took a step backward.
    â€œDo you ever wear a cape and a bodysuit?”
    â€œA crash helmet?”
    â€œYou really need a pet rat named Nimrod. He’s a scoundrel, but he’ll worm his way into your heart.”
    â€œBe quiet!” yelled Katie.
    The three men stopped their scribbling and typing.
    â€œAll this attention is frazzling her,” said Katie.
    Lily looked at her own knees.
    For a second, the three writers looked ashamed.
    Then one of them said, “Mr. Dash, when you fought off the killer bees, did you—”
    Katie grabbed her friends’ arms and pointed.
    She, Lily, and Jasper pulled away from all the people who wanted to hear their story, and they stepped over to the railing to watch the sun set over the sea. Around them the potted ferns waved and the seagulls cried. The clouds turned a rich, rumbling kind of red as the sun disappeared. The sky stretched peach above their heads. The wind blew at them.
    Katie said, “Well, Lily—are you proud?”
    Lily didn’t say anything. She just smiled and nodded.
    Jasper looked at her. He said shyly,